US 12,077,489 B2
Continuous, carbohydrate to ethylene glycol processes
Ray Chrisman, Midland, MI (US); Donald Bunning, South Charleston, WV (US); Mark Nunley, Charleston, WV (US); Brooke Albin, Charleston, WV (US); Michael Bradford, Charleston, WV (US); Louis Kapicak, Cross Lanes, WV (US); and David James Schreck, Lake City, MN (US)
Assigned to T.EN Process Technology Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by T.EN Process Technology, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed on May 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/735,813.
Application 17/735,813 is a continuation of application No. 17/031,280, filed on Sep. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,319,268, issued on May 3, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/905,068, filed on Sep. 24, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0091978 A1, Mar. 23, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C07C 29/132 (2006.01); B01J 19/00 (2006.01); B01J 19/24 (2006.01); B01J 23/30 (2006.01); C07C 29/17 (2006.01); C07C 31/20 (2006.01)
CPC C07C 29/132 (2013.01) [B01J 19/0033 (2013.01); B01J 19/004 (2013.01); B01J 19/245 (2013.01); B01J 23/30 (2013.01); C07C 29/172 (2013.01); B01J 2219/00033 (2013.01); B01J 2219/0004 (2013.01); B01J 2219/00243 (2013.01); B01J 2523/69 (2013.01); C07C 31/202 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
 
1. A continuous process controlled by a control system for the catalytic conversion of a carbohydrate feed in a reaction zone by sequential retro-aldol catalytic conversion the process including:
providing the carbohydrate feed to the reaction zone under retro-aldol conditions,
providing one or more catalysts to the reaction zone to catalytically convert at least a portion of the carbohydrate feed to a lower glycol;
controlling at least one operating parameter of the process using at least the concentration of acetol in the raw product is an input to the control system for the process; and
withdrawing continuously or intermittently a raw product from the reaction zone.